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The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco holds Guinness World Record for oldest higher learning institution

The University of al-Qarawiyyin is widely recognized as the oldest university in the world.

Founded as a mosque in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri, it was later added to Morocco's university system in 1963. 

The University of al-Qarawiyyin is widely considered the oldest in the world, including by Guinness World Records, which acknowledges the school as the oldest higher learning institution in the world.  (Arterra/Marica van der Meer/Universal Images Group via Getty Images I UNESCO World Heritage List, 1981)

The female founder and her sister Mariam used the fortune passed down to them after their father died to create Al-Karaouine Mosque and University complex, according to the BBC. 

The complex where the school is located is made up of a mosque, university and library, according to the source. 

Another school often recognized for its lengthy existence is the University of Bologna in Italy, which has been cited as the oldest continually operating university by several sources. 

The University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating college in Europe.  (DeAgostini/Getty Images)

This university was established in 1088 and has remained operational. 

In the 2022-23 school year, there were 96,984 students enrolled at the University of Bologna, which included 8,526 international students. 

The oldest English-speaking university is Oxford in England.  (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The school is made up of 31 departments, including architecture, engineering, economics, legal studies, mathematics, pharmacy and veterinary medical sciences. 

It's believed that teaching at Oxford, in some form, dates back to 1096, though the university's website acknowledges that there is no clear date of origin. 

The University of Oxford in England is considered to be the oldest university in the English-speaking world. 

Harvard University was founded in 1636, making it the oldest in the United States.  (Blake Nissen for The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Even though the university's earliest days can be dated back to around 1096, the educational institution's popularity began to increase in 1167, when Henry II banned English students from studying at the University of Paris, according to Oxford's website.